What’s Hiding Under the Countertop

This post could also be called “How To Not Build Yourself Into a Corner.” If you’ve been following along with me for a while, you know that my husband Chris and I, along with help from my brother Dan, have been remodeling our laundry room. (You can find all my previous posts about this remodel at the end of this post.)

The Quartz Countertop

It’s taken us a while to get this far, but we’re close to being finished. The quartz countertop was installed about a week ago.

I wanted the laundry room to be a mix of old world charm and modern efficiency, and I think the quartz works nicely in that theme.

And it’s practical for a laundry room since it’s said to be very stain-resistant.

Installation was not fun for the three men who maneuvered it into the 7′ X 7′ laundry room.

The countertop is 33 inches deep – deeper than a standard 25-inch kitchen countertop. That extra depth made it hard for these poor guys to set it in place in such a small area. Arms stretched to the max, all three men yelled and groaned as they carefully raised it!

Hopefully their backs recover. And the countertop is beautiful. But there’s a lot going on underneath its simple, clean look.

The Fantasy

Before we started the laundry room remodel, we thought long and hard about the configuration of the sink and appliances: We considered placing the washer and dryer side by side, topping them with a countertop, and placing the sink near the window. Another practical and space-saving idea was to stack the washer and dryer.

But we tossed practicality aside and opted for the beauty of symmetry: A sleek kitchen-style configuration with the sink and base cabinet in the middle, an appliance on either side, and a countertop over them running the width of the room.

And they would all live happily ever after.

The Reality

But the devil is in the details. And in the real world, what goes in eventually must come out. Appliances break. Pipes leak. Dryer vents need to be reconnected. So it all needs to be accessible.

And our design called for the appliances to be trapped under a countertop and walled in on either side.

So to keep our little fantasy alive, we needed a plan.

The Plan

It was simple really. We just had to make sure there was enough space around the appliances to be able to pull them out when (not if) we need to.

So Chris left about an inch of space between the top of the appliances and the frame he attached to the walls for the countertop to sit on. And when we ordered the sink base, we purposely had it built about an inch taller than the appliances.

Chris left roughly one-inch gaps between the sink base, the appliances, and the walls. Now the appliances will (hopefully) be easy to remove and reinstall.

The appliances and sink base sit out from the wall several inches to make room for the dryer vent which runs behind them. It’s nice because it gives us a deeper counter and more counter space.

But there is another advantage: This gap behind the appliances made it possible for Chris to cut a small hatch in the back of the sink base so we can access the plumbing, an electrical outlet, the gas line, and the dryer vent when we need to.

A hatch cover conceals it.

Across the Room

The corner cabinet that Dan built us (drawer front coming soon) also received a quartz countertop.

The countertops were definitely a splurge. But they were worth it. The professionals came over and measured, and their measurements were spot on.

I still marvel at the precise spacing between the countertop and the door frame.

And at the little cutout that is perfectly sized for the washer hoses.

Coming Next

At the moment, Chris is installing the gorgeous Delta “Leland” faucet that I received compliments of Delta Faucets Canada.*

I’m looking forward to using the single-handle control and pull-down sprayer on this faucet – and to having a built-in soap dispenser.

Our old utility sink did heavy duty for us. We were always using it to clean brushes, tools, etc. after one project or another. It will be so nice to have a utility sink again.

There are lots of little details to work on before this room is finished. But now it’s summer and the sun is shining. And that last 10 percent of any remodel project is always the hardest. But we’ll get there.

Posts on this website are for entertainment only and are not tutorials.

* A warm thank you to Delta, a sponsor of Blogpodium 2015 – a Canadian-based lifestyle bloggers’ conference which I attended. Although I was an American blogger at a Canadian conference, I found lots of inspiration and ideas there. Blogpodium 2017 is coming up in September in Toronto.

It’s all just coming together wonderfully! Love the counter top, the bead board, and the open shelving! We are needing a new kitchen faucet. Would love to hear more about your new one. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Love how the laundry room is progressing Heidi and I think you nailed it with the solution for the appliances. You can never have too much bench space, so the extra depth is a bonus.
Thank you for sharing your transformation on Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring this room at tonight’s party. Pinned it too!!
Hugs,
Kerryanne

Hi Heidi,
I just found your blog and love love love this laundry room.
We just bought a cottage style home and are doing reno’s to it now. I will have a new laundry room and have been gathering ideas for this space. Love what you did with yours.
Happy Friday.
Kris

Heidi, Your laundry room is amazing. I love the countertop and open shelving. Can’t wait to see the big reveal. Thank you for sharing at Snickerdoodle and I am featuring your laundry room at the party Saturday.

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